Patrick Labyorteaux Says Michael Landon Predicted ‘Little House’s Popularity

Patrick Labyorteaux doesn’t think Little House on the Prairie’s present-day fandom would surprise Michael Landon at all.

Labyorteaux, 60, reflected on the show’s 50th anniversary in an interview with BuzzFeed published July 22. Little House on the Prairie, which premiered on NBC in 1974, was based on the beloved novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which were based on her real life.

Melissa Gilbert played Laura, with Karen Grassle as Caroline Ingalls and Langdon as Charles Ingalls. Landon, who died in 1991 at 54, also produced and directed the show. Labyorteaux played Andy Garvey on the series, and his brother Matthew Labyorteaux played Matthew Ingalls.

When asked about the show’s continued fandom 50 years later, Labyorteaux said, “I approach it from a couple of different angles. One, I’m a big science fiction and comic book guy. I understand the concept of a fandom, especially with shows like Lost, and also Star Wars and Star Trek.”

He thinks the return to the show was “turbo-charged” by the pandemic, and also noted that the series is “gorgeous” because it was shot on film. 

Then he remembered Landon’s perspective on the series. One day, the pair were the last two sitting at the lunch table. “At the time, Mork and Mindy was a huge hit, and Robin Williams was breaking out, and you couldn’t get away from it,” Labyorteaux remembered. “I asked Michael, ‘Hey, are you worried about Mork and Mindy? It’s huge!’ They were on ABC, and we were on NBC, and I think we were going up against them.”

“He goes, ‘No, not really.’ And I go, ‘But they’re so cool!’ ” he remembered. “He goes, ‘Our show is about the past. We’re already predated. You’ll be able to watch Little House in 50 years, and it’ll still be on TV.’ He literally said that to me.” 

“What I didn’t understand was the idea of reruns and syndication and, at that time, that meant being on local stations. There was no cable, there was no internet, but local stations would buy the shows and rerun them,” the actor continued. “The reality is, he was absolutely right. This type of show will always be able to be viewed because it focuses on interactions between humans. That’s never outdated.”

Little House ran for nine seasons, until 1983. Three post-series movies aired as well, in 1983 and 1984. Legions of fans continue to watch the show in syndication and, now, on streaming. A new Netflix series, based on the books, is in production. 

Labyorteaux joined Little House in season 4. “It was a pretty awesome experience,” he told Buzzfeed. “I’d been a fan of Little House because I was the same age as Melissa, and I loved watching a kid my age go on all these adventures.”

He remembered auditioning for Landon. “Michael had this amazing ability to make you feel like he’s just another guy, even though he’s Michael Landon,” he said. As the auditioners left the room, Landon told Labyorteaux to hang back. “And he says, ‘Okay, you got the part, kiddo!’ I couldn’t believe it!” He started working the next day. 

Labyorteaux now hosts a podcast, The Patrick LabyorSheaux, where he’s interviewed some of his Little House costars as well as other actors from the 1980s.